Ch. 2421..2430
Chapter 2421 The Exhilaration Of The Iron Golem Technique
“Hmm?”
Levi had already told the fighters the truth, yet they obviously didn’t believe him.
“How dare you take us for a fool, lad? Are you sick of living?
“We’re going to give you another chance. Answer seriously, or we’ll finish you off!”
The fighters all threatened him.
In response, Levi groused in exasperation, “Why won’t you believe me? It was really me who killed them!”
“Da*n it! Let’s just eliminate him! I can’t stand him anymore!”
One of the fighters on the Divine Leaderboard was already at the end of his patience.
He instantly whipped out his samurai sword and swung it at Levi’s head.
He wasn’t alone, for every single citizen of Raysonia probably hated the man to the bone and couldn’t wait to kill him right then and there.
Anyway, we’ve still got Queenie to interrogate after dispatching of him!
For that reason, the others made no move to interfere even when the fighter intended to take the man’s life.
Snap!
But when the sword struck Levi’s body, it abruptly broke.
Clang!
At that same instance, a metallic sound resounded.
With a single glance, they saw that Levi’s body had already turned golden at some point in time.
Right then, he was invulnerable to blades and bullets.
Seven rays of light of varying shades then appeared.
“What? The Iron Golem Technique?”
The heir of the Muramasa Blade recognized it at a single glance.
The other five fighters were also shell-shocked.
“The Iron Golem Technique?”
They were stupefied and entirely flabbergasted.
No matter how hard they racked their brains, they couldn’t fathom how Levi knew the Iron Golem Technique.
They simply couldn’t figure it out.
For a moment, their brains almost imploded from all the thinking, but they still couldn’t make sense of it.
How does he know the Iron Golem Technique? It’s impossible! Argh! This question is giving us a splitting headache, yet we still haven’t managed to decipher the answer!
Without waiting for them to come to a conclusion, Levi made his move.
Whoosh!
Clang!
With a single blow, he shattered the head of the man whose sword snapped when attempting to kill him earlier.
Blood splattered everywhere.
“Let’s get him together!”
When the other four fighters snapped back to their senses, they drew their swords and charged at Levi.
Although they were all top hundred fighters on the Divine Leaderboard, they were no different from ordinary people in the face of Levi, who had mastered Level Seven of the Iron Golem Technique.
Clang! Clatter!
Sharp weapons struck him, but only the sounds of metal hitting metal pierced the air.
They didn’t hurt him in the slightest.
Ultimately, they couldn’t penetrate a Level-Seven Golem.
Even the heir of Muramasa Blade couldn’t do it, let alone the others.
Boom!
Boom!
Sounds of a similar variety continued ringing out.
Confronted by the four fighters, Levi didn’t show them any mercy.
Instead, he shattered their heads.
The only remaining fighter, the heir of Muramasa Blade, was stricken with terror.
No longer in the mood to question anything, he geared up to take off without delay.
“Hmm? You want to leave when you’re already here?”
Alas, Levi would never give him such an opportunity.
Even if he were to utilize every skill he has, death is still the only thing that awaits him in the face of the Iron Golem Technique!
“This Iron Golem Technique is pretty nifty! With it, I don’t even need to make a move since no one is my match, less alone if I were to punch my fist out!”
Levi chuckled as the exhilaration of possessing the Iron Golem Technique flooded him.
In the end, a few puddles of blood were all that remained in the courtyard.
Levi cast Queenie a glance. “Why don’t you clean the courtyard?”
“Sure!”
Fortunately, Queenie had long since prepared a floor brush and the like.
In the blink of an eye, the courtyard was sparkling clean as though no one had ever been there.
Very quickly, news that six elites from Raysonia had mysteriously vanished leaked out from Dark Web.
Various organizations updated the Divine Leaderboard right away.
Following the disappearance and death of six people, new fighters from the Provisional Leaderboard would naturally move to the Divine Leaderboard.
Levi’s ranking also went up from the seventeenth to the eleventh on the Provisional Leaderboard.
Raysonia, on the other hand, was utterly terrified.
Firstly, it was Kuroki being killed.
And presently, six elites on the Divine Leaderboard disappeared in Erudia for no apparent reason.
Erudia promptly became a restricted area.
Meanwhile, Edmund and the others immediately rushed to Levi’s manor after receiving the news.
They went over with the intention of checking on the situation.
“Where are they?” everyone demanded.
Chapter 2422 The Mystery Of Their Disappearance
“Who are you referring to?”
Queenie feigned ignorance.
“Six fighters on the Divine Leaderboard from Raysonia mysteriously vanished, so they must have come to Erudia! And I reckon that they came in search of you both!” Edmund replied.
“But no one came…” Queenie countered. “You can look around though there’s obviously no sign of anyone ever having come here.”
Everyone searched the place, but there was indeed no sign of anyone having been there.
Thus, they could only drop the matter.
“Perhaps my master acted. He certainly won’t allow those foreigners to come and challenge us!” Edmund announced.
Then, he changed the topic, saying, “Never mind. Why don’t I tell you all some good news? After some modifications, Garrison Industry’s specialized battle suit has successfully passed the simulation experiment and is now ready for use!”
In the next moment, he continued, “However, it’s of no use to me anymore. I’ve already attained Level Four of the Iron Golem Technique! While I’m a bit amateurish, I can still somewhat wield it. I’m already impenetrable!”
Subsequently, he unleashed the Iron Golem Technique in front of everyone there.
That amazed them all, and they regarded him enviously.
“Is that all? And you dared to flaunt it and embarrass yourself? Frankly speaking, you’re even worse than Kuroki! You’re probably not as stable as he was!”
Levi’s voice sounded out of the blue.
Everyone was taken aback, and even Edmund gaped at him incredulously.
It should be my master saying this. Why is it coming from him instead?
Just when he was about to refute the man, his sister’s voice rang out. “You’re indeed beneath him, Edmund! Kuroki managed to attain Level Seven in just a short time, after all! Conversely, it’s probably good enough if you can master Level Five in the same amount of time!”
“Well…”
At that, Edmund had no choice but to relent.
At the sight of his disciple, Levi suddenly remembered something.
“Oh yes, where are those young talents of Erudia once upon a time? For instance, the Warrior Princess—Jessica, the Twin Meteorites who are descendants of Donte, and the like? They don’t seem to have made an appearance in this new era. Did something happen to them?” he queried.
Back when he was choosing the successor of the Iron Golem Technique, he did consider them.
After all, they were all talented fighters he once trained personally.
Furthermore, they once saved the dignity of Erudia in the martial arts world.
With a single battle, the entire world was shaken.
Alas, it seemed as though there was no more news of them.
By all rights, they should be even more in their element in the new era, like a duck to water.
However, there was no sign of them on the Divine Leaderboard.
Now that he caught sight of Edmund, that matter abruptly occurred to him.
“Oh, you mean the hundred young talents of Erudia? Like Evie, they’re the hope of Erudia. For that reason, they were taken away by Eragon when the new era began to join a closed, top-secret plan. Different training plans were customized according to each of their capabilities, with Eragon’s fighters instructing them closely. The purpose of that is to safeguard Erudia’s future. They’re also learning Eragon’s most orthodox techniques. Once they reemerge, they may be on par with us here!”
After pondering for a while, Edmund continued, “Come to think about it, this plan is drawing to an end. It’s already been two years.”
“Ah, so that’s what happened. I was just wondering why those kids never came to seek me out anymore when I’m their master, after all,” Levi commented with a chuckle.
Having learned of his disciples’ whereabouts, he was in a pretty good mood.
At least, they hadn’t been tainted by the fast-track techniques today and are training in orthodox techniques! In fact, they’re still using the techniques I taught them!
In response, Edmund chortled. “Since we’re speaking of this, I’ll just be frank with you all, okay? After they’ve completed their training plan, they might need your help.”
“Huh?”
Everyone was mystified, not quite understanding what he was trying to say.
They all looked at him in bemusement.
Edmund then shifted his gaze back to Levi. “Oh yes, they’ll also need your help.”
Chapter 2423 The Young Talents Have Returned
“Huh? It has to do with me as well?”
Levi was likewise puzzled.
“In order to have the group of young talents adapt better and faster to the new era as well as gauging their capability, we need everyone to duel them for assessment purposes,” Edmund explained.
“How will that work?” Zoey questioned.
“We’ll select fighters from the Provisional and Divine Leaderboard for them to challenge one by one until they’re defeated. With that, they’ll understand everything about the new era and also know how their capability ranks on either of the leaderboards.”
“I get it now! We’ll be acting as training partners for them! We’ll be the threshold that they’re going to challenge in order to know where they stand! For instance, I rank a hundred on the Divine Leaderboard. If they defeat me, their capability is within the top hundred. But if they fail to do so, they don’t rank within that list.”
Edmund nodded in assent. “Yup, that’s right! We’re generally setting the bar at the fighters ranking ten thousand, five thousand, and a hundred on the Provisional Leaderboard. In actual fact, we can just skip the Provisional Leaderboard since it will be a piece of cake for them to break into the Divine Leaderboard. We only want to let them have a look at the capability of those on the Provisional Leaderboard so that they have a general understanding of it. Anyhow, the top fifty on the Provisional Leaderboard is more crucial since it’s the backup list to get into the Divine Leaderboard. It’s to roughly test whether they’re capable of making it into the Divine Leaderboard.”
Then, he continued, “After much deliberation, we all think that Levi should be the fighter for that rank. He ranks eleven on the Provisional Leaderboard, so he’s the most suitable candidate.”
Hearing that, Levi was dumbfounded. “Huh? Are you sure?”
So, they want me to do that? Isn’t that equivalent to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?
The challenge against the fighter who ranked the top fifty on the Provisional Leaderboard was the easiest for the young talents.
However, it would be the most difficult if they were to choose Levi.
It would be even more difficult than to defeat the fighters who ranked top ten or first on the Divine Leaderboard.
In fact, it would be impossible!
That was the reason Levi sought confirmation. After all, selecting him was tantamount to impeding everyone from progressing from the very beginning.
“Of course! You’ll be the first round they challenge for real. Okay, it’s decided, then!” Edmund declared. “There are a few members of the Lopez and Black families who rank at the bottom of the Divine Leaderboard, so they’ll be representing its threshold and be the second round. As for the top five hundred, Kinsley and the others will be the threshold. Meanwhile, the top three hundred will be the fourth round, whereas the top one hundred will be the fifth round.”
Then, he continued, “After making it into the top one hundred on the Divine Leaderboard, they’ll be ranked further. Kirin, Floyd, you both have to join the challenge as well. According to my estimation, thirty to fifty of the young talents will make it into the top one hundred. Thus, they’ll have to be ranked closely. As such, all fighters here must participate! Even I will be joining the action at that time!”
He had arranged everything perfectly, just waiting for the group of young talents to finish their training and join the tournament challenge.
Levi didn’t care about it either way.
At that time, I’ll just defeat all one hundred of them and keep them out of the Divine Leaderboard!
That would mean that none of them would be able to make it into the Divine Leaderboard.
Nonetheless, he wasn’t bothered at all.
Well, who asked them to pick me to accept the challenge? Anyhow, it’s good to train the hundred of them. At first, I actually thought that they had all been decimated by Lab of Gods.
A few days later, the first phase of Eragon’s top-secret plan drew to an end.
Consequently, the group of young talents came out of seclusion, mainly to test their capabilities this time.
After that, they would be resuming the top-secret plan.
“It’s been close to three years! I wonder how the outside world looks like now!”
“I heard that many fighters have been born, ranked according to the Divine and Provisional Leaderboard.”
“Our instructors said that most of us should be ranked top three hundred on the Divine Leaderboard, and a third of us will be ranked top hundred!”
“Ah, I’m really looking forward to it!”
Similar sentiments drifted into the air, one after another.
After the hundred young talents stepped out of seclusion, anticipation was written all over their faces.
Chapter 2424 Your Master Is A Weakling
“I feel that my capabilities have ballooned more than a hundred times compared to three years ago!”
“You can now defeat anyone who stands in your way, huh?”
Each and every one of the young talents expressed similar sentiments.
“It’s better to remain humble. I heard that tremendous change had taken place in these three years, and there are tons of fighters out there. We’re not their match at all!”
Alongside the melodious voice, two goddess-like figures appeared.
It was none other than Josephine and Yasmin.
They were also exceedingly powerful at present, ranking top ten among the hundred of them.
“Yes, I agree! We’ve got to be humble. After all, we might be defeated right at the beginning of the tournament challenge.”
Another female voice echoed.
Many of the young talents instantly went silent and even shuddered in terror, for it was the Warrior Princess, Jessica.
She was the woman they feared most and dared not provoke.
“Yeah, we’ve got to be humble and practice forbearance! Have you all forgotten Master’s teaching? Why is the lot of you acting all high and mighty?”
Yet, another two people came over side by side.
They were the Twin Meteorites who were of the Great Family of Westford.
They were the strongest among them in the past, and they still maintained the same ranking among the hundred people.
“Understood!”
All the others nodded fervently, not daring to argue in front of them.
Subsequently, the hundred people were led to an underground secret training base of The Cardinal Hall.
It was a massive, enclosed area.
Edmund had already brought Levi and the others there, awaiting their arrival.
Some fighters on the Provisional Leaderboard were there as well.
The moment the hundred people spotted Levi, they immediately surrounded him.
“Master! Where did you disappear back then?” everyone inquired eagerly.
The Twin Meteorites and Jessica, the Warrior Princess, rushed over to him as well.
Yasmin and Josephine, however, stared at the man with a conflicted look in their eyes.
Their feelings toward Levi were different.
“Not bad! You’ve all grown! Truly, you guys did great!”
At a single glance, Levi could discern the capability of them all.
Whoa! They’re very strong, far better than I’ve imagined! The fact that they didn’t depend on fast-track techniques is truly admirable. Not only do they have great basics, but they’re also training in orthodox techniques. Hence, their future is very promising!
“Why on earth is Levi so popular?” Edmund scoffed when he saw that.
“That’s Boss’ incredible charisma! Everyone respects him greatly regardless of his capability!” someone else replied.
The Twin Meteorites weren’t so familiar with the situation in the outside world, and they couldn’t resist asking, “Master, you’re one of our challenges today, yes?”
“Yup, that’s right!”
“In that case, you’re probably the last round, Master?”
That was what they all thought.
Master was the king in the past, the strongest of us all! That’s definitely still the case now, so he must be the most difficult last round. Oh my God, I can’t wait to know his ranking on the Divine Leaderboard! Even if he isn’t the first, he must be among the top three, at least!
“No, that’s not it! Your master isn’t the last round. On the contrary, he’s the first round! That’s also the easiest one!” Edmund sneered.
“What? The first round? You’re joking!”
Upon hearing that, they were all bowled over and gaped at Levi in disbelief.
“Is that true, Master? You’re the first round?”
Their gazes were all fixated on the man.
This is implausible! What exactly happened in the past three years? How could Master be the first round?
“Master, what’s your ranking on the Divine Leaderboard?” Jessica, the Warrior Princess asked.
“The Divine Leaderboard? I’m really sorry to inform you that your master didn’t make it into the Divine Leaderboard! He now ranks eleven on the Provisional Leaderboard and is considered outstanding in the backup list. For that reason, he’s the first round and will be testing whether you guys have the capability to make it into the Divine Leaderboard!” Edmund drawled.
“What? He didn’t make it into the Divine Leaderboard?”
All of them wore expressions of incredulity.
Before this, his combat prowess was the strongest in the world! But now, he can’t even make it into the Divine Leaderboard that merely has a thousand people? This is just too shocking, no?
“His time has passed! Your master is only slightly stronger than a weakling now!”
Chapter 2425 Strip His Last Shred Of Dignity
“T-That’s impossible!”
Dubiousness was etched on Jessica’s face.
She really couldn’t imagine that Levi couldn’t even make it into the list with only a thousand people.
The same went for the others.
What kind of Leaderboard is it that even our master didn’t cut it? This is impossible!
Everyone didn’t believe it, infuriating Edmund.
Why are they still unwilling to believe it and accept the reality when I’ve already said as much? Instead, they’re still defending Levi staunchly! What kind of spell did he cast on them that he occupies such an esteemed position in their hearts?
“Listen here! He’s presently not among the top thousand fighters on the Divine Leaderboard! He ranks eleven on the Provisional Leaderboard! If you don’t believe me, take a look at the list yourselves!”
Exasperated beyond words, Edmund could only show them the Divine and Provisional Leaderboard.
After having scanned through the list, they were all stumped.
“Master’s wife, family, and disciples are all on the Divine Leaderboard, yet he’s on the Provisional Leaderboard. What exactly happened?”
The Twin Meteorites voiced out the question everyone was harboring.
“It’s because your master was held captive…” Edmund explained.
It wasn’t until after listening to the explanation did they understand that Levi didn’t manage to catch up with the progress of the new era and could only make it onto the Divine Leaderboard if he were to keep his nose to the grindstone.
But on second thought, they were still very excited since they were going to spar with their master.
It’ll feel rewarding if we win. At the same time, we can also show him the progress of our training!
“Next, I’m going to have fighters at different rankings on the Provisional Leaderboard do a demonstration so that you’ll have a general knowledge of the capability of those on the Provisional Leaderboard.”
Edmund then made arrangements for fighters of different rankings on the Provisional Leaderboard to start the demonstration.
That segment didn’t include any challenge, merely aimed to give them a basic understanding of things.
As they watched the demonstration by the fighters on the Provisional Leaderboard, the Twin Meteorites and the hundred young talents grinned.
They were extremely nervous at the beginning, fretting that those on the Provisional Leaderboard might be so powerful that they wouldn’t be able to cut it.
From the look of things now, it’s not a problem at all. Those on the Provisional Leaderboard are just too weak for us. It seems that we won’t have any issues making it into the Divine Leaderboard!
Therefore, they were all smiles.
“You now know the general capability of those on the Provisional Leaderboard. It’s a piece of cake for you all, right? For that reason, you’ll be starting from the first round, which is also your master, Levi. We’ll see whether you’ve got the capability to make it into the Divine Leaderboard as you fight on until you’re defeated!”
After saying that, Edmund turned to Levi and urged with a smirk, “Go on, Levi! It’s your turn to test them!”
I can already imagine the scene whereby he’s beaten up badly by his own disciples. All one hundred disciples are stronger than him, so just picturing it is firing me up! Isn’t he competitive in nature? In that case, I’m going to deal him the heaviest blow and strip him of his last shred of dignity! Haha! The humiliation of being defeated by the disciples he personally taught, one after another, will be downright unbearable!
Although Floyd, Kinsley, and the others disciples were stronger than Levi himself, it was mere talk, for they had never sparred against him before.
After all, it would be a great humiliation to him in the event that he lost if they were to duel for real, especially when he was such a prideful person in the first place.
Edmund detested Levi’s high and mighty demeanor.
And that was also why he set the man up to be part of the tournament challenge this time.
“Sure, I’ll go.”
Levi stepped out.
“All right, get ready to spar with him one by one. Let’s start!”
Edmund then moved to the side and left the arena to the combatants.
However, no one among the hundred young talents made a single move.
Levi was their teacher at the end of the day, so they really couldn’t bring themselves to attack him.
After learning that his capability remained stagnant at his level three years ago and was currently weaker than them all, especially, they were all the more hesitant to spar with him.
“Uh…”
Reluctance was written all over their faces.
“Get on with it! Come on, come at me with everything you’ve got!” Levi urged.
Chapter 2426 They Must Still Continue Training
Still, no one twitched a single muscle, all unwilling to be the first person to make a move.
“Attack! That’s an order!” Levi roared.
“Jessica, you first!” he then specified.
Hearing that, Jessica, the Warrior Princess, sprang to her feet at once.
“Okay, Master! I won’t be pulling my punches, so do be careful!”
As soon as her words rang out, she immediately charged toward him.
“Annihilation Kick!”
Whoosh!
As she attacked, she launched a sweeping kick.
While her leg shot out, the sound of a strong gust of wind rushing past rang out.
The terrifying momentum made it seem as though she was going to destroy the entire training base, for it carried a destructive force.
That was the ultimate technique by an Eragon elder, annihilating everything with a single kick.
“What?”
The moment she unleashed that technique, everyone’s expressions changed drastically.
Good Lord! She’s really powerful!
Jessica could give Edmund and the others a good run for their money.
Besides, she ranked in the top hundred at least.
“Crap!”
The crowd’s expression turned ashen, realizing that the kick of hers would undoubtedly injure Levi severely even if it didn’t kill him.
This move certainly isn’t something someone on the Provisional Leaderboard like him can withstand!
Zoey and the others started panicking.
Some even screwed their eyes shut, not daring to watch the tragic scene that would unfold.
“Don’t worry. If Levi is injured, I’ll treat him with the best medicine from Garrison Industry! He’ll definitely make a complete recovery!”
Edmund’s promise infused the crowd with some relief.
Whoosh!
Jessica’s lightning-like kick struck Levi with great force.
At once, the earth shook violently.
If it weren’t for the training base’s unique design, it might have even collapsed at that instance.
Right then, most of the crowd had their eyes closed, unwilling to watch the tragic scene.
But when they opened their eyes, they were greeted by the sight of Jessica flying backward at the impact.
Thud, thud, thud…
Jessica stumbled back over a dozen steps before she finally regained her footing.
Incredulity brimmed in her eyes.
Isn’t he on the Provisional Leaderboard? Why did he not only manage to withstand my savage blow but even send me flying backward? That’s impossible!
Likewise, the hundred young talents were all stunned.
Could it be that Master’s mentor is still alive? That’s great news to us all!
“What happened? How did he manage to withstand the blow? How is that possible?”
Everyone couldn’t understand why Levi could withstand that blow, and they simply couldn’t understand.
Out of the blue, Edmund exclaimed, “I know! I understand now!”
Walking over to Levi, he questioned, “Are you wearing the specialized battle suit by Garrison Industry?”
Following his remark, Zoey and the others instantly understood what exactly happened.
So, it was the effect of the specialized battle suit! It could even withstand the attack of the fighter ranking second on the Divine Leaderboard during the simulation experiment, whereas Jessica hasn’t yet attained that level despite her strong capabilities. Ah, everything makes sense now!
“Yeah, I am,” Levi answered helplessly.
He was wearing the specialized battle suit by Garrison Industry as an undershirt since it was very convenient with an automatic cleaning function.
If Edmund and the others were to know that he was treating it as an undershirt, they would probably burst a blood vessel.
“Let me explain things to you all. He’s wearing a specialized battle suit by Garrison Industry…”
Edmund proceeded to introduce the specialized battle suit to the hundred young talents.
In response, they all gasped in wonder, amazed at the development in the outside world for the past two or three years that such a battle suit now existed.
“Levi, I think you should remove it to be fair. Don’t worry, for I’ll treat you with the best equipment and medicine if you’re injured!”
After saying to Levi, Edmund turned to the young talents and asserted, “In giving it your all, you should also know when to stop.”
Thus, Levi stripped off the specialized battle suit in exasperation.
The thing was, Jessica being knocked back earlier had nothing to do with the specialized battle suit. Instead, it was all him.
Therefore, it made no difference whether he wore it.
Anyway, he had made up his mind to teach the one hundred disciples before him a lesson.
I’m going to show them my true capabilities and thereby tell them that they must still continue training!
Chapter 2427 The Request Of Zoey
Pity rose within the hundred young talents at the sight of Levi’s headstrong attitude.
With the specialized battle suit earlier, he could’ve ignored the reality and accepted each of our challenges. But now, the only ace up his sleeve is gone after having removed it. He’ll have no choice but to battle us with his true capabilities. Alas, how could he be our match? Just a blow from Jessica is more than sufficient to wound him severely. Even if she were to pull her punches, he would still suffer some minor injuries. Furthermore, with so many people sparring with him one after another, it’ll be exceedingly difficult for him to leave this place alive. Yet, he’s still persistent and adamant in accepting our challenge!
His tall figure made a lonely picture, tugging at the heartstrings of each and every one of them.
“Be careful, Master, for I won’t be pulling back my punches!” Jessica stated with her eyes trained on Levi.
“It doesn’t matter, just get on with it!”
Levi was already prepared to have her come at him.
At that critical moment, Zoey abruptly cried out, “Wait a minute! Please halt for a moment!”
When her words rang out, everyone swung their gazes at her and wondered about her intention.
“Please gather your people, Sir. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you,” Zoey implored.
In the end, other than the hundred young talents and Levi, all the others gathered together.
“What is it?” Edmund demanded in disgruntlement.
“Sir, I’d like to ask a favor from all of you…”
As soon as Zoey’s words fell, everyone’s expressions changed.
What does she mean?
They all looked at her in puzzlement.
“My husband will undoubtedly lose in the following challenges. Anyone could tell that the hundred young talents’ capability is definitely at the top of the Divine Leaderboard. Hence, he’s definitely not their match,” Zoey expounded.
“Yes, that’s right. So, what’s your point here?” Edmund asked.
“However, the people whom he’ll be losing to were once his disciples. The hundred of them will be defeating him one by one. That’s the most monumental humiliation to him. My husband is a prideful person in the first place, so such a thing will be even worse than death to him. It’ll be another heavy blow to him if his consecutive defeats are witnessed by us all, people with whom he’s familiar! I’m afraid that he won’t be able to take it and will do something extreme. Therefore, I’d like to implore all of you to forgo watching the challenge. How about we allow him to spar with his disciples unobserved? After all, we know that he’ll surely lose.”
At long last, Zoey gave voice to her request.
“I agree! We can’t have him suffering double humiliation! No one will be able to take that! I’m in for it!”
“Hear, hear! We can’t watch the challenge!”
Similar sentiments rang out as Azure Dragon and the others expressed their agreements.
Edmund mulled it over for some time before a smile tugged at his lips.
“All right, then. I agree to forgo watching the challenge and sealing off the training base so that they can spar among themselves.”
He only wanted to embarrass Levi, not planning on driving him to his death.
While it was child’s play to do so, there were too many people associated with him.
Thus, it would be difficult to appease them.
Even the hundred young talents here were already giving him a headache.
If something were to happen to Levi, it would involve too many things and people.
For that reason, he had no choice but to relent.
Returning to the arena, Edmund announced, “Next, you’ll all be having the tournament challenge in private. When you’re done, you can send us a signal as we won’t be watching it.”
Jessica, the Twin Meteorites, and the others promptly understood his intention—to prevent Levi from suffering a double blow.
“Sure! We agree!”
They all nodded their heads.
Clang, clang, clang…
Soon, a shield-like barrier manifested around the training base, sealing it off completely without leaving a single gap.
Meanwhile, Edmund and the others waited outside.
“Be prepared, everyone! I reckon that the battle will conclude in no time, and you’ll be the next to step into the arena. In the end, even I will be joining the action!” Edmund’s eyes glinted with excitement. “Coincidentally, I can use the Iron Golem Technique to train them. The orders from above are to train them no matter the cost!”
Chapter 2428 Defeating All The Young Talents
As Levi swept his gaze over his disciples in the training base, jubilation deluged him.
Yes! I don’t need to hide my capability anymore! I can unleash some of it…
“Master, I’m going to make my move, okay?” Jessica couldn’t help prompting.
“Hold on.”
“Huh?”
Everyone stared at Levi in bafflement.
“Come at me together to save time!” Levi declared.
“Huh? But…”
Hearing that, they were all floored.
Go at him together? Is he really that crazy? But then, this does fit his style. Alas, his capability doesn’t match.
“Here I come, Master!”
Jessica, the Warrior Princess, made her move right away.
A swift and forceful kick headed toward Levi, and it was even more powerful than the kick earlier.
Gazing at her approaching foot, Levi drawled, “You’re too slow, downright sluggish…”
Swoosh!
He dodged the kick effortlessly.
Crack!
Jessica’s foot that missed its target struck the ground heavily, causing the earth to crack and shake.
“Your strength is pretty good,” Levi complimented after casting a glance at it.
In the next second, his body started to glow in a shade of gold.
As light radiated from him, metallic sounds filled the air.
Six rays of light shone brightly.
It was none other than Level Six of the Iron Golem Technique!
Judging from his assessment, none of the young talents there could break Level Seven.
Even breaking Level Six would be a huge challenge since Kuroki defeated all the fighters on the Divine Leaderboard with the Iron Golem Technique of Level Six back then.
No matter how strong they were, they were merely at Edmund’s level.
W-What is this?
Everyone was dumbstruck upon seeing that.
“Let me test how where your capability lies.”
After unleashing the Iron Golem Technique, Levi launched himself at Jessica.
Clang!
Clang!
Realizing his immense power, Jessica gave it her all, but every single blow she landed on him merely generated a metallic sound without harming him in the slightest.
However, the moment Levi went on the attack, she was instantly sent flying.
Then, he shot toward Yasmin and Josephine.
While the two of them were powerful, they were no match for him.
After defeating them, he turned to someone else.
That continued perpetually as the hundred young talents were all taught a lesson in humility.
In the end, only the Twin Meteorites remained.
They were the strongest, and indeed different from the other young talents previously.
Not only could they hold out much longer under the Iron Golem Technique of Level Six, but they seem to even break it to a certain degree.
When they joined forces, especially, they appeared really close to success.
Regretfully, they fell short just by a scratch.
Thud!
Thud!
Ultimately, Levi sent them flying as well.
And so, all one hundred young talents experienced defeat at his hands.
Their eyes were flooded with indelible shock as they gaped at him incredulously.
How could it be? How was that possible?
Sheer astonishment inundated them all.
Didn’t they say that he’s on the Provisional Leaderboard? He’s not even on the Divine Leaderboard, yet he defeated all of us! Even the Twin Meteorites and Warrior Princess were no match for him! What’s going on here?
“I know! Master’s capability has always been intact, but those people and the outside world know nothing about it. Instead, they think that his strength was a thing of the past!”
“I think Master ranks at least top five on the Divine Leaderboard! We could almost break through his Golem body when we joined forces!” the Twin Meteorites exclaimed.
“You’re right, but not entirely,” Levi replied. “Anyway, come at me together!”
With that remark of his, the one hundred young talents attacked him in unison.
Whirr! Whirr! Whirr…
Seven rays of light appeared as Level Seven of the Iron Golem Technique was unleashed.
The hundred of them could still somewhat hold out under the Iron Golem Technique of Level Seven when they worked together.
Whoosh!
A deathly aura manifested as Levi unleashed Level Eight of the Iron Golem Technique.
Thump!
Thump!
Sounds of bodies hitting the ground split the air, and the hundred young talents were all sent flying.
“T-T-This…”
They all glued their eyes on Levi in disbelief.
This is simply sublime! He’s probably unrivaled in the whole world!
Chapter 2429 Iron Golem Technique Is A Novel Toy
At that very moment, all the young talents felt that Levi was even more powerful than their instructors in Eragon’s secret training plan.
What was more, the chasm was vast.
Yet, they told us that Master is only on the Provisional Leaderboard? And they made him the first round that was purportedly the easiest? Were they trying to play us for a fool when they gave us the most difficult one for the first round?
However, that wasn’t Levi’s limit.
His energy was still expanding, skyrocketing rapidly.
Whirr! Whirr! Whirr….
In the next instance, Level Nine of the Iron Golem Technique was unleashed.
Nine silhouettes materialized, and it was as though a scorching sun was blazing behind Levi.
That Golem body of his was entirely impenetrable.
An oppressing air that could subjugate all creation swept over the entire arena, and everyone felt as though they were close to being crushed to death.
Oh my God, Master is definitely far stronger than our Eragon instructors! Those people outside have no idea of Master’s true capability. And so, he has deceived the entire world again!
As soon as Level Nine of the Iron Golem Technique was unleashed, it seemingly reigned supreme over all creation in existence.
The young talents were all stricken, utterly intimidated.
Master is too damn strong!
Every single one of them trembled in fear.
He’s definitely the strongest person we’ve ever seen! No one can rival him!
“Master, what’s with their ranking of you?” Jessica inquired.
“As I disappeared for three years, they thought that I’d been eliminated by the times. If they hadn’t known where you guys went, they would’ve also assumed the same of you all, thinking that you’d been rendered defunct by the passing of time and your abilities stagnated three years ago. Little would they know that you’re all still very powerful!” Levi explained.
After hearing that, they all nodded in understanding
Mainly, they weren’t of that era and had no idea about whatever transpired.
“Is this the pinnacle of your capability, Master? This is simply mind-boggling!” the Twin Meteorites exclaimed.
Unexpectedly, Levi shook his head. “No. This is a technique I came into possession of two days ago. I simply practiced it for a bit and attained the highest level. In actual fact, I think I’m much stronger than this.”
His answer stunned them speechless.
The moment his words drifted into their ears, the disciples almost lost their minds.
He simply practiced a technique for a bit, yet he’s already so powerful that others would shake in their boots? I wonder how stupendous his true capability is! It’s beyond imagination!
They all broke into a cold sweat.
Those people outside are truly a bunch of morons that they arranged for him to be the first round! How ridiculous!
“Actually, my strength comes from the basic techniques I taught you. You should also practice them often. Indeed, it takes a long time to see the effect, but it’s certainly beneficial if you persist. I’m not worried about you all either. You’re training in Eragon’s orthodox technique, so there’s no problem at all! Just hang in there!” Levi encouraged.
Upon hearing that, they were all dumbstruck.
They never expected the reason for his incredible strength to be the basic techniques all of them practiced.
Never had it crossed our minds that the basic techniques are even more powerful than the Iron Golem Technique!
Chuckling, Levi asserted, “You should all concentrate more on that. The Iron Golem Technique is just a novel toy to me, and I simply play with it for a bit. The main thing I practice is still the basic techniques!”
“Understood!”
They all nodded in acknowledgment.
“I’ve actually tested all of you just now, but it’s of no matter if you want to train with them. You can take their measure,” Levi commented.
It was a tournament challenge involving a hundred people, but Levi concluded the battle in the shortest time.
“Okay, let’s go out!”
When they heard Levi say that, they all sent a signal.
Edmund and the others outside were exceedingly surprised upon receiving the signal.
“It has finished so soon?”
“This group of young talents is really swift, beating Levi up in no time!”
“It’s ten times faster than I expected! I truly didn’t expect things to end in mere minutes!”
The crowd chattered while guffawing uproariously.
Whoosh!
As the gates swung open, everyone was greeted by the sight of the hundred young talents and Levi.
“Huh? Why is he perfectly fine?”
Surprise showed on every single one of their faces.
Chapter 2430 Increase The Level Of Difficulty
The crowd had expected Levi to be all battered and bruised, barely clinging on to life by a thread.
In reality, however, there wasn’t a single mark on Levi.
“You guys really pulled your punches and didn’t hurt your master at all,” someone lamented.
Meanwhile, Zoey furtively breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Levi was fine.
If he had sustained severe injuries, it would’ve really been a heavy blow to him. But judging from his solemn expression now, he must be devastated after having been defeated by his hundred disciples one after another, so much so that he doesn’t even want to speak anymore.
“Can I leave now?” Levi asked.
“Sure! Here, a specialized battle suit for you!”
Edmund gave him a specialized battle suit, which he took.
It makes a pretty good undershirt. Why wouldn’t I want it?
Gazing at Levi’s disappearing back, the crowd heaved a long sigh.
Ah, his sorrow is palpable! Being personally defeated by one’s own disciples is actually something extremely cruel!
The Twin Meteorites, Warrior Princess, and the others also stared at the man’s disappearing back.
A riot of emotions brewed in their eyes.
I wonder how powerful he actually is when he’s so powerful that the formidable Level Nine of the Iron Golem Technique is only a toy to him! T-T-That’s… well, unfathomable!
However, their expression was perceived as pity toward Levi.
“Come on, let’s continue with the tournament challenge! After sparring with him earlier, you should know the capability required to make it to the Divine Leaderboard…”
Edmund gave the order to continue the tournament challenge without giving them an opportunity to speak.
“Why aren’t you inquiring about the result?” Josephine questioned in bemusement.
“That’s right. Why aren’t you asking us about that?”
All the hundred young talents were exceedingly mystified.
But in the eyes of Edmund and the others, Levi had unquestionably lost.
Hence, there was no need for any discussion or confirmation.
And so, the tournament challenge continued.
The second round involved the threshold of making the cut into the Divine Leaderboard.
Levi’s in-laws and part of the Lopez and Black families belonged to that round.
Subsequently, an intense round of tournament challenge began.
Shortly after, all a hundred of the young talents passed that round.
Next was the third round led by Levi’s disciples, Kinsley and the others. It was also the threshold of the top five hundred on the Divine Leaderboard.
This time, it took a bit more longer.
Still, they managed to scrape through.
That meant that they were all within the top five hundred on the Divine Leaderboard.
Following that, it was the top three hundred on the Divine Leaderboard.
Again, all of them passed.
It was smooth sailing until they came to the top hundred on the Divine Leaderboard.
That round held forty-eight people back.
Fifty-two people advanced to the top hundred on the Divine Leaderboard.
At that, Eragon and The Cardinal Hall were both surprised and delighted.
They immediately had a focus for the next phase of their plan—to have the forty-eight people who fell short of the top hundred on the Divine Leaderboard make the cut while continuing to improve the others.
The tournament challenge continued, whereupon White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and the others stepped into the arena.
Some lost, and some won.
In no time, it was Kirin, Sword Fiend, and Floyd’s turn.
They defeated quite a number of people, as did Zoey and Queenie, who came after them.
In the end, only eight people passed all the rounds and advanced to Edmund’s round.
“Had it been difficult to pass?” Edmund inquired.
“Nope! It was easy, much too easy!” everyone replied in unison.
After having experienced the most arduous round with Levi, passing any other rounds was a piece of cake.
It was simply too easy!
Even the young talents who failed to advance to the next round shared the same sentiments.
It had been far easier compared to facing our master! When we were sparring with him, we were entirely subjugated! But now, it’d been difficult to tell who had the upper hand when fighting our opponents. Even if we lost, we only lost by a narrow margin. It’d been simply effortless!
That answer was obviously beyond Edmund’s expectations.
“Surprisingly, it seems that to have been exceedingly easy for you all. In that case, I’ll personally increase the level of difficulty for you! Let me show you the Iron Golem Technique!”
He instantly unleashed Level Five of the Iron Golem Technique.
Pfft!
At once, all one hundred young talents there burst into laughter.
Seeing that, Edmund was wholly baffled.
Why are they laughing?